• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.306-313
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• 2015

Objectives: Molecular mechanism of the pathogenicity of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis), a suspected endodontic pathogen, has not yet been adequately elucidated due to limited information on its virulence factors. Here we report the identification of in vivo expressed antigens of E. faecalis by using a novel immunoscreening technique called change-mediated antigen technology (CMAT) and an experimental animal model of endodontic infection. Materials and Methods: Among 4,500 E. coli recombinant clones screened, 19 positive clones reacted reproducibly with hyperimmune sera obtained from rabbits immunized with E. faecalis cells isolated from an experimental endodontic infection. DNA sequences from 16 of these in vivo-induced (IVI) genes were determined. Results: Identified protein antigens of E. faecalis included enzymes involved in housekeeping functions, copper resistance protein, putative outer membrane proteins, and proteins of unknown function. Conclusions: In vivo expressed antigens of E. faecalis could be identified by using a novel immune-screening technique CMAT and an experimental animal model of endodontic infection. Detailed analysis of these IVI genes will lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the endodontic infection of E. faecalis.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.48-60
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• 2020

Objective The purpose of this study is to study the effects of Taeeumjowi-tang extract granule on metabolic syndrome with obesity in Taeeumin. Methods We studied 206 subjects who diagnosed metabolic syndrome with obesity and classified Taeeumin by a Sasang constitution analysis tool. The subjects were administered by Taeeumjowi-tang for 12 weeks. We investigated the changes of body mass index, abdominal circumference, the number of risk factors for metabolic syndrome, lipid, fasting blood sugar, Hemoglobin A1c, free fatty acid, insulin, and blood pressure. Results Body mass index and abdominal circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly reduced after 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks of administration compared to before administration. Triglyceride significantly decreased after 8 weeks and 12 weeks of dosing compared to before taking. Low density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood sugar were significantly increased after 8 weeks of administration compared to before administration. High density lipoprotein cholessterol was decreased significantly after 4 weeks of administration compared to before administration. The number of risk factors for metabolic syndrome, Hemoglobin A1c increased significantly after 12 weeks of administration compared to screening. Conclusions In this study we knew that Taeeumjowi-tang extract granule is very efficient in metabolic syndrome, especially in obesity and hypertension, triglyceride, insulin resistance.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.258-265
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• 2016

In metastatic breast cancer, the acquisition of malignant traits has been associated with the increased rate of cell growth and division, mobility, resistance to chemotherapy, and invasiveness. While screening for the key regulators of cancer metastasis, we observed that neurotrophin receptor TrkB is frequently overexpressed in breast cancer patients and breast cancer cell lines. Additionally, we demonstrate that TrkB expression and clinical breast tumor pathological phenotypes show significant correlation. Moreover, TrkB expression was significantly upregulated in basal-like, claudin-low, and metaplastic breast cancers from a published microarray database and in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, which is associated with a higher risk of invasive recurrence. Interestingly, we identified a new TrkB-regulated functional network that is important for the tumorigenicity and metastasis of breast cancer. We demonstrated that TrkB plays a key role in regulation of the tumor suppressors Runx3 and Keap1. A markedly increased expression of Runx3 and Keap1 was observed upon knockdown of TrkB, treatment with a TrkB inhibitor, and in TrkB kinase dead mutants. Additionally, the inhibition of PI3K/AKT activation significantly induced Runx3 and Keap1 expression. Furthermore, we showed that TrkB enhances metastatic potential and induces proliferation. These observations suggest that TrkB plays a key role in tumorigenicity and metastasis of breast cancer cells through suppression of Runx3 or Keap1 and that it is a promising target for future intervention strategies for preventing tumor metastasis and cancer chemoprevention.

• Mycobiology
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.303-310
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• 2015

The increasing emergence of lead drugs for the resistance produced by the pathogenic strains and arrival of new diseases have initiated the need for searching novel metabolites with best anticancer and antimicrobial properties than the existing one. With this view, the investigation was conducted for the isolation, identification, and biological evaluation of potential endophytic fungi of Aegle marmelos, a medicinal tree used for more than three decades, for curing various disorders. A total of 169 endophytic fungal strains obtained from sampling and among those 67 were pigmented strains. Upon antagonistic screening, five endophytic fungal strains exhibited antagonistic potentiality by inhibiting the pathogens. These five potent strains were characterized at molecular level by sequencing the amplified internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 and ITS 4 regions of rDNA and they were grouped under order Pleosporales, Eurotiales, and Capnodiales. The metabolites from the respective strains were produced in fungal culturing media and extracted using polar solvents. Further, the extracts of five endophytes manifested antimicrobial activity against tested clinical pathogens and Alternaria alternata (FC39BY), Al. citrimacularis (FC8ABr), and Curvularia australiensis (FC2AP) exhibited significant antimicrobial profile against 9 of 12 tested pathogens, showing broad spectrum activity. The antioxidant levels of all the five endophytes revealed the highest activity at least concentrations, and major activity was unveiled by the members of order Pleosporales FC2AP and FC8ABr. This research explains the value of endophytic fungal extracts and its significance of antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.148-164
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• 2017

The focus on the issues surrounding spent nuclear fuel and lifetime extension of old nuclear power plants continues to grow nowadays. A transparent decision-making process to identify the best suitable nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) is considered to be the key task in the current situation. Through this study, an attempt is made to develop an equilibrium model for the NFC to calculate the material flows based on 1 TWh of electricity production, and to perform integrated multicriteria decision-making method analyses via the analytic hierarchy process technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution, preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation, and multiattribute utility theory methods. This comparative study is aimed at screening and ranking the three selected NFC options against five aspects: sustainability, environmental friendliness, economics, proliferation resistance, and technical feasibility. The selected fuel cycle options include pressurized water reactor (PWR) once-through cycle, PWR mixed oxide cycle, or pyroprocessing sodium-cooled fast reactor cycle. A sensitivity analysis was performed to prove the robustness of the results and explore the influence of criteria on the obtained ranking. As a result of the comparative analysis, the pyroprocessing sodium-cooled fast reactor cycle is determined to be the most competitive option among the NFC scenarios.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.41 no.8
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• pp.781-798
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• 2018

Plants have evolved strategies to cope with drought stress by maximizing physiological capacity and adjusting developmental processes such as flowering time. The WOX13 orthologous group is the most conserved among the clade of WOX homeodomain-containing proteins and is found to function in both drought stress and flower development. In this study, we isolated and characterized OsWOX13 from rice. OsWOX13 was regulated spatially in vegetative organs but temporally in flowers and seeds. Overexpression of OsWOX13 (OsWOX13-ov) in rice under the rab21 promoter resulted in drought resistance and early flowering by 7-10 days. Screening of gene expression profiles in mature leaf and panicles of OsWOX13-ov showed a broad spectrum of effects on biological processes, such as abiotic and biotic stresses, exerting a cross-talk between responses. Protein binding microarray and electrophoretic mobility shift assay analyses supported ATTGATTG as the putative cis-element binding of OsWOX13. OsDREB1A and OsDREB1F, drought stress response transcription factors, contain ATTGATTG motif(s) in their promoters and are preferentially expressed in OsWOX13-ov. In addition, Heading date 3a and OsMADS14, regulators in the flowering pathway and development, were enhanced in OsWOX13-ov. These results suggest that OsWOX13 mediates the stress response and early flowering and, thus, may be a regulator of genes involved in drought escape.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.125-130
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• 2013

Influenza viruses cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans through epidemics or pandemics. Currently, two classes of anti-influenza virus drugs, M2 ion-channel inhibitors (amantadin and rimantadine) and neuraminidase inhibitors (oseltamivir and zanamivir), have been used for the treatment of the influenza virus infection. Since the resistance to these drugs has been reported, the development of a new antiviral agent is necessary. In this study, we examined the antiviral efficacy of the plant extracts against the influenza A/PR/8/34 infection. In vitro, the antiviral activities of the plant extracts were investigated using the cell-based screening. Three plant extracts, Thuja orientalis, Aster spathulifolius, and Pinus thunbergii, were shown to induce a high cell viability rate after the infection with the influenza A/PR/8/34 virus. The antiviral activity of the plant extracts also increased as a function of the concentration of the extracts and these extracts significantly reduced the visible cytopathic effect caused by virus infections. Furthermore, the treatment with T. orientalis was shown to have a stronger inhibitory effect than that with A. spathulifolius or P. thunbergii. These results may suggest that T. orientalis has anti-influenza A/PR/8/34 activity.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.21-31
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• 2008

In plants, the oxygen generated by photosynthesis can be excited to form reactive oxygen species (ROS) under excessive sunlight. Excess ROS including singlet oxygen ($^1O_2$) inhibit the growth, development and photosynthesis of plants. To isolate ROS-resistant crop plants, we used paraquat (PQ), a generator of $O_2{^-}$ as a source of screening and mutagen, and obtained two PQ-resistant lines in Pisum sativum, namely R3-1 and R3-2. Both lines showed greater resistance to PQ than their wild type (WT) siblings with respect to germination, root growth, and shoot growth. Biochemical analysis showed differences in these lines, in which ROS-scavenging enzymes undergo changes with a distinguishable increase in Mn-SOD. We further observed that the cytosolic catalases (CATs) in leaves in both lines were shifted in a native-PAGE analysis compared with that of the WT, indicating that the release of bound $^1O_2$ was enhanced. Phenotypic analysis revealed distinguishable differences in leaf development, and in flowering time and position. In addition, R3-1 and R3-2 showed shorter individual inter-node lengths, dwarf plant height, and stronger branching compared with the WT. These results suggested that PQ-induced ROS-resistant Pisum have the potential pleiotropic effects on flowering time and stem branching, and that ROS including $^1O_2$ plays not only important roles in plant growth and development as a signal transducer, but also appears as a strong inhibitor for crop yield.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.48
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• pp.295.1-295.7
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• 2018

Background: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infections have become a major healthcare-associated pathogen problem worldwide. Nosocomial VRE infections could be effectively controlled by screening patients at high risk of harboring VRE and thereby lowering the influx of VRE into healthcare centers. In this study, we evaluated factors associated with VRE colonization in patients transferred to emergency departments, to detect patients at risk for VRE carriage. Methods: This study was conducted in the emergency department of a medical college-affiliated hospital in Korea. Every patient transferred to the emergency department and admitted to the hospital from January to December 2016 was screened for VRE using rectal cultures. In this cross-sectional study, the dependent variable was VRE colonization and the independent variables were demographic and clinical factors of the patients and factors related to the transferring hospital. Patients were divided into two groups, VRE and non-VRE, and previously collected patient data were analyzed. Then we performed logistic regression analyses of characteristics that differed significantly between groups. Results: Out of 650 patients, 106 (16.3%) had positive VRE culture results. Significant variables in the logistic analysis were transfer from geriatric long-term care hospital (adjusted odds ration [aOR]: 8.017; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.378-46.651), hospital days (4-7 days; aOR: 7.246; 95% CI: 3.229-16.261), duration of antimicrobial exposure (1-3 days; aOR: 1.976; 95% CI: 1.137-3.436), and age (aOR: 1.025; 95% CI: 1.007-1.043). Conclusion: VRE colonization in patients transferred to the emergency department is associated primarily with factors related to the transferred hospitals rather than demographic and clinical characteristics.

• The Korean Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.159-165
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• 2018

The Hippo pathway was originally discovered in Drosophila by genetic screening and it has been shown to be conserved in various organisms including human. Until now, the essential roles of Hippo pathway in regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, tumorigenesis, and organ size control is extensively studied. Currently, Mats1/2 (Mob1a/1b), one of the important components in Hippo pathway, mutant mice were generated which has abnormal phenotype such as resistance to apoptosis and spontaneous tumorigenesis. Of note, Mats1/2 mutant mice also showed dental malocclusion. Therefore, in this study, we have evaluated the bone phenotype of Mats1/2 mutant mice. Although the mRNA expressions of Mats1 or Mats2 were observed in both osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis, the increase of Mats1 level was most prominent during osteoblastogenesis. The RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation from bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) was unaltered upon Mats1/2 mutation; however, the osteoblast differentiation using calvarial pre-osteoblasts was significantly reduced in Mats1/2 mutant mice compare to that of wild type mice. In accordance with in vitro results, Mats1/2 mutant mice showed decreased bone volume as well as increased trabecular separation in ${\mu}CT$ analyses. These results may provide novel prospect of the probable linkage between Hippo pathway and bone homeostasis.